Wholesale: Products & Services

Product Catalog (PCAT)

2-Wire Frame Relay Service (2-Wire FRS) V8.0

NOTE: 2-Wire Frame Relay Service (2-Wire FRS) was Grandparented
in December of 2000 and is no longer available to order as a new service.

Product Description

CenturyLink's retail telecommunications service, 2-Wire Frame Relay Service
(2-Wire FRS) is available for resale by Competitive Local Exchange
Carriers (CLECs) to end-user customers. Additional information about
resale of CenturyLink's retail services can be found in the General
Resale Product Catalog (PCAT).

This web page assumes that you are familiar with Frame Relay Service
(FRS) and Integrated Services Digital Network Basic Rate Interface
(ISDN-BRI). Should you require FRS or ISDN-BRI information, please
refer to the Frame
Relay Service or the ISDN-BRI
Product Catalogs (PCAT).

With a 2-Wire FRS access link over a 2-wire local loop, your end-user
can access the Advanced Communication Service (ACS) FRS Network
over the existing twisted copper pair at 128kpbs and up to eight
Permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs) per access link.

The primary components of 2-Wire FRS are:

Access Link - Connection facility for the end-user's network
interface to the corresponding CenturyLink Frame Relay Port at the speed
of 128kbps.

User-To-Network Information Transfer (UNIT) - Transfers information
between the User- to-Network Interface (UNI) and the ACS Frame
Relay service network. The UNIT includes the associated port,
unidirectional Permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs), and ACS Frame
Relay switching equipment. It provides unidirectional polling
between your end-user's facility and the ACS FRS network. It is
the physical entry point into ACS Network.

Permanent Virtual Connection (PVC) - A unidirectional logical
channel from one Frame Relay port to another Frame Relay port
within the ACS network. PVCs are provisioned at end-user customer-selected
port speeds with end-user customer-selected Committed Information
Rates (CIRs). There is a limitation of 8 PVCs per access link.

Technical Publications

Pricing

Rate Structure

2-Wire FRS is generally billed for on a month-to-month basis or
under a rate plan. Rate plans are available per the state specific
tariffs/catalogs/price
lists and may qualify for the resale discount. Contact your
CenturyLink Sales Executive
for additional billing information.

The three rate categories for 2-Wire FRS are:

Access Link - Monthly and non-recurring charges apply

UNIT - Monthly and non-recurring charges apply

PVC - Non-recurring charges apply with a first and subsequent
(additional) charge

Additional rate elements may apply for miscellaneous service order
request items such as:

Due Date change charge

Cancellation charge

Change to a rate plan

Subsequent Changes

CenturyLink retail rates, rate elements, and how they apply for 2-Wire
FRS service can be found in the state specific tariffs/catalogs/price
lists.

Optional Features

Customer Network Management (CNM) is a feature that provides your
end-user with read-only access to information related to service
faults, usage and Frame Relay service configurations. CNM includes
a PVC which is dedicated to the feature and does not include the
PVCs available to your end-user on a per port basis.

Features/Benefits

2-Wire Frame Relay Service can benefit your end-user in the following ways:

Interconnect Local Area Networks (LANs), allowing users at remote sites to appear as if they were on the network.

Connect with others on the network to communicate easily with customers, suppliers, consultants and others in the community of interest.

Prerequisites

If you are an existing CLEC wishing to amend your Interconnection
Agreement, you can find additional information in the Interconnection
Agreement.

For 2-Wire FRS pricing plans, you must work with your CenturyLink Sales
Executive to establish the contract and obtain a contract identification
number. The contract identification number must be noted in the
Variable Term Agreement (VTA) field of the Local Service Request
(LSR) request.

Pre-Ordering

The following functions may need to be performed by you in preparation
for the issuance of an LSR:

When contacting the center, please be prepared to provide them
with the account telephone number, proof of agency authorization,
and your fax number. CenturyLink will then fax the 2-Wire FRS CSR to you.

Maintenance and Repair

CenturyLink will provide repair and maintenance of resold 2-Wire FRS
in a manner that is equal to that which it provides to its retail
end-users purchasing use of 2-Wire FRS. Additional information is
available in the Maintenance
and Repair Overview.

Billing

On a monthly basis, CenturyLink will provide you with billing information
that will provide summary account information as well as end-user
sub-account information. Detailed information regarding the IABS
Summary Bill, Inquiry and Disputes is described in Billing
Information - Integrated Access Billing System.

Training

Local CenturyLink 101 "Doing Business With CenturyLink"

This introductory web-based training course is designed to teach
the Local CLEC and Local Reseller how to do business with CenturyLink.
It will provide a general overview of products and services, CenturyLink
billing and support systems, processes for submitting service
requests, reports, and web resource access information. Click here to learn more about this course and to register.

Contacts

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is 2-Wire FRS available in subtending Frame Relay Service
Offices?
2-Wire FRS is available in numerous offices but not in all. For
availability be sure to conduct a facility and service availability
validation and check Network Disclosure
web page.

2. Can 2-Wire FRS be used for both voice and data traffic?
No, the 128kbps access link is a dedicated circuit that terminates
on a D4 Channel Bank and connects to the FR switch. It does not
connect to the voice switching network and therefore will not carry
voice.

3. Is Message Service Delivery available on 2-Wire FRS?
No.

4. Will I be able to obtain Frame Relay reports on my 2-Wire
FRS?
No, the 2-Wire FRS access link is aggregated on an unchannelized
T-1. This makes your performance data non-distinguishable from other
2-Wire FRS traffic riding the same unchannelized T-1.

5. If my end-user upgrades their service from a 56kbps
to a 2-Wire FRS, can the CenturyLink network reuse the existing 56kbps
facility for the 2-Wire FRS?
If the end-users 56kbps loop qualifies for 2-Wire FRS, then technically
the facility can be re-used; however, CenturyLink would recommend that
a new 2-Wire FRS circuit be installed first and then disconnect
the existing 56kbps circuit to ensure your end-user does not experience
any down time.

6. Are NNIs available with 2-Wire FRS?
No, however, when 2-Wire FRS comes out of the back end of the Channel
Bank and goes into the unchannelized T-1 to the FRS switch and enters
the FRS network, NNIs are then available as part of the normal 4-wire
FRS.